My life at the Sohma's
by b00m
Summary: What is it that Tohru feels throughout all of her adventures at the Sohma's house? What are her sincere thoughts about every person there? Take a first person view of her adventures and trials.


. . . My Life at the Sohma's House . . .

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. This is merely an account of the episodes through Tohru's eyes, with some added fiction here and there.

Chapter one: The Discovery.

            "Ahh.. Look at the beautiful sky.." I smiled to myself, standing outside my tent. It was such a beautiful day. I leaned down, staring into my tent with a grin, speaking to my picture of my mother. My most prized possession. "See you later, Mom! Take care of the house while I'm gone, okay?" I giggled to myself as I closed the flap to the tent and started to walk off, my schoolbag in hand. "I'll be back!"

_"Hello! My name is Tohru Honda. I haven't always lived in a tent.. Up until last May I lived with my mom. It was just the two of us.. But then the accident.. After I lost Mom, I began secretly living here, on my own. It's not exactly comfortable, but it's alright. And it's what I have to do. Like my motto says: 'Never give up!'"_

I started down the pathway through the forests, looking curiously throughout all of the trees. It was such a desolate place. It felt as if I was the only one here.. But to my surprise, just over the hill I was walking over was a house! My curiosity getting the best of me, I started down the hill and in the front yard of the single house. I stood nearby a bush, whispering softly, "Look at this, Mom. Did you know there was a house here?" Of course, I know my mother is gone, but.. I still speak to her. I'm sure wherever she is now, she can hear me and misses me just as much as I miss her. I slowly approached the wooden front porch, looking over the sliding doors, glancing inside of the house quietly. "It seems so peaceful.. Must be nice." I slowly looked down, seeing a small table laying on the porch with several painted figures on them. After a moment of looking, I smiled. "How cute! The twelve animals of the Zodiac!" As I marveled, I was distracted and didn't notice my surroundings for a moment, and suddenly I heard a voice from above me.

"My word..." I gasped softly and looked up at a man with a newspaper in his hands, wearing a grayish robe. "Do my eyes deceive me, or is there a strange young girl standing on my porch?" I stared for a moment, realizing I had been trespassing. I gasped louder, backing up. 

"Ah, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was just looking! I didn't mean to barge in without permission!" I stared back at him, only to see him chuckle.

"It's all right..." He grinned. "I just set them out to dry... No harm done. But.. I find it hard to believe that these silly little things could attract your interest..." I sighed a bit, relieved he wasn't angered.

"No, I really like them. I don't think they're silly at all!" I replied to him, as he chuckled once again.

"Yes, well... I must admit, I'm particularly fond of them myself." He slowly kneeled onto his knees and stared down at them. I slowly averted my gaze from the man and looked once again at the Zodiac figures.

"Oh. But I should have known... You left out the cat." I said as the man slowly looked up at me.

"The cat?...Ahhh... I take it you're referring to the old folktale of the Chinese Zodiac?" I smiled up at him.

"Uh-huh... My mom told it to me when I was little."

_I'm laying in my bed, my mother next to me. I'm a child, only 3 years old, listening to my mom's bedtime story. She grinned at me as I listened intensely. "A long, long time ago, God decided to invite all the animals to a banquet. He sent out word for all of them to come to His house the following evening. "And don't be late!" He said. When the mischievous rat heard, the news, he decided to play a trick on his neighbor, the cat. He told the cat that the part was the day after tomorrow. The very next day, all of the animals lined up for the celebration. And the rat led the way, riding all the way there on the back of the cow. Everyone had a wonderful time... Except for the foolish cat, who missed the whole thing." As her story concluded, I now had tears in my eyes. "Hey, why are you crying?..." She said with concern._

_"Because... That poor cat... He must be so lonely." I whimpered. I sat up in my bed confidently. "I know! I won't be a dog anymore! I'll be a cat, too!" My mom chuckled, smiling at me._

"Funny.. I wonder what he'll say when he hears he has a fan." The man uttered to himself.  I blinked.

            "H-he?" I tilted my head to the side curiously. The man changed the subject.

            "You were born in the Year of the Dog? I knew there was something I liked about you, aside from your pretty fa-" The man was cut off by a sudden smack to his head by a greenish backpack behind him. My eyes widened a bit, turning to look at who had hit him with the bag.. 

            "Please forgive my cousin, Miss Honda. He's a bit of a flirt, but he's harmless. In general, it's usually best to just ignore him." I smiled gleefully. 

            "Ah, Yuki Sohma!" The boy, Yuki, smiled at me. I thought to myself 'Oh, Mom, I don't believe it! The prince of my high school, Yuki Sohma, is standing right here, before my very eyes!' I heard the man slowly recovering from his head incident, slowly rubbing it.  '—And I'm standing in front of his house!'

            "Ow, what do you have in that bag?" Complained the man. "A dictionary?" Yuki looked smug as he closed his eyes.

            "...No. I have two of them."

            "So, you're one of Yuki's classmates from school." The man started to speak again after he had completely recovered. "Let's start again. I'm Shigure, his older and much less violent cousin."

            "Hi, it's very nice to meet you!" I smiled at him, before moving my gaze over to Yuki.

            "And what brings you to our home this morning, Miss Honda?" I gulped, looking away.

            "Well, you know I live...nearby..."

            "You do? Where at?" Yuki said very curiously. I pretended I heard him wrong, not wanting to tell them of my living in a tent. 

            "Uhh, right!" The two just stared at me, perplexed, as I quickly began saying as I turned around. "Okay, I think I'll just be going now, it was nice to meet yo-"

            "Wait, Miss Honda!" Yuki said. I turned around a bit nervously. "Since you're here, why don't we walk together?" I felt myself blush just a bit as I chuckled a bit more nervously. Before I knew it, we were on our way to school together. I was blushing the entire way... But as we got halfway there, we were suddenly mobbed by Yuki's fangirls... But we merely brushed past them.

            "Yuki?!" They shouted indignantly. 

            "Okay! Start talking!" I was being yelled at by what seemed to be the leader of the fangirls, they all sneered at me. "What was that all about, Miss Tohru?!" Another shouted at me.

            "Why were you walking to school with Prince Yuki!?" I was backed up a bit, holding up my hands to try and show I didn't want to argue. "Details! And they better be good!" I gulped, staring guiltily.

            "It.. It was just a coincidence." I managed to mutter as the third one began shouting at me.

            "Well, for your sake, I hope that's all it was!" The leader began screeching at me again.

            "Every girl at Kaiwaia High, Class 1-D, knows that Yuki Sohma is the best-looking boy in school!"

            "And he's intelligent!" The second one shouted.

            "And he's great at sports!" Spouted the third one, the three of them looked immersed in their compliments about him before they turned to sneer at me again.

            "And for you info we are the Prince Yuki Fan club! We have first dibs sister, so you better stay clear!" Suddenly, there was a voice shouting from behind them.

            "Hey!"

            "What?!" The three of them shouted back in unison. 

            "She said it was a coincidence!" One of my best friends Uo was backing me up. She had a reputation as a bully and Yankee, but she always supported me and protected me.  "Now get lost before those big noses of yours get bruised..." All three of the girls gasped and backed up in a cowardly manner. 

            "Now, hold it, Yankee!" The leader uttered. "You're not gonna scare us with the 'street thug' talk!"

            "One more world and you'll all get.....with electric shocks." Came from what my what can be considered somewhat gothic other friend, Hana. I'm so grateful they showed up. As soon as Hana finished her words, all three girls ran away quickly, screaming.

            "Thanks, I didn't think they'd ever leave!" I said to my friends, smiling gratefully. 

            "Were those catty little girls bothering you? Aww." Uo reached forward and hugged me while she said, "Hana, don't actually shock anyone, okay?"

            "You know, the truth is, I was so worried about walking with Yuki this morning." I said softly as the three of us were cooking out lunches. "I couldn't talk to him-no. I couldn't even look at him." Hana slowly began cutting up her fish.

            "I sense strange electric signals coming from that boy..." She said, Uo rolled her eyes.

            "Here we go again, Hana's Electric Report." 

            "Strange how?" I asked, ignoring Uo's comment.

            "I don't know. He's different." Hana shrugged. Uo ran her hand through her hair.

           "Well, I admit he does seem to have an air for mystery about him... And there are some weird stories floating around, too.... I hear one of those Fan Club girls tried to ask him out, once, but he just pushed her away... And I mean that literally! Right in the hall. Then he left her on the floor and ran off."

            "Like I said.." Hana began once again. "I sense strange electric signals." I slowly picked up some rice with my chopsticks. 

            "Um, let's talk about something else?" I asked. 

            "How's that job of yours going?" Uo asked.

            "Oh, fine I guess. Why?"

            "I don't know... You've been putting in a lot of hours lately. A lot more then usual."

            "Uhh... Yeah. Sure." I said, but Uo got defensive.

            "You're have trouble saving up for tuition, aren't you?"

            "No! It's just...well... yeah." I confessed. Hana immediately chimed in.

            "That's odd... I didn't think tuition here was that expensive. And I don't remember you having to work this hard before." Hana said, beginning to eat her rice slowly. "Unless.. Something else has changed?"

            "No! Everything's the sa-"

            "So what is it?" Uo cut me off. "You in some kinda trouble? You owe somebody? Your grandfather's giving you enough to eat, right? He isn't taking your money?"

            "Mm-mm!" I shook my head. Uo smiled.

            "I know, I worry too much..." Her expression turned rough. "But seriously, if you need me to rough someone up for you, you just say the word. Got it?"

            "Okay." I smiled, blushing a bit and chuckling. I felt guilty for not saying anything. Uo's gonna kill me when she finds out... But how can I tell my two best friends that I live in a tent?

_            I can still remember how tough it was on Mom after Dad died.. She had to work so hard just to make ends meet.. But she never seemed to mind. She always had a smile. It's hard to believe that someone so smart and so strong could be taken away by an accident... After it happened, there were a lot of people I could have stayed with, I guess. I chose to live with my paternal grandfather. He was always so nice to me. But he's retired now, and living on his savings. I didn't want to be a burden, so I promised him I would work to pay for my tuition myself! After four months.. The house needed some renovations, and Grandfather went to stay with his daughter and her family until the work was done. He asked me if I had a friend here I could stay with. I told him yes, but Uo lives in a one room apartment and Hana's got such a large family... I couldn't ask them. They got enough to worry about. I'd just be in the way.... That's when it hit me! If I could somehow live on my own for a while, then everyone would be happy! _

            I started packing my school bag at the end of the day, only to find Yuki once again as I was walking down the hallway nearby his locker.

            "Oh, Yuki! It's you! I mean, it's....Hi" I stammered, blushing. He chuckled.

            "It seems we're beginning to make a habit of bumping into each other."

            "It was nice meeting your cousin this morning. He was funny." Both me and Yuki were now walking home from school together. I could actually talk to him this time. It felt very relaxing. "And those little Zodiac figurines he made were really cute..."

            "Ah, yes.... But I thought I overheard you saying something about how you with there was a Year of the Cat?" He questioned, I smiled meekly. 

            "It's an idea I had when I was a kid.... Silly..."

            "Cats... Useless, foolish creatures." I looked at him curiously, a bit surprised. "Tell me, Miss Honda... How familiar would you say you are with the history of the Chinese Zodiac?"

            "I know the stories my mom used to tell me..."

            "Did you know that is was originally nothing more then a simple calendar? A mathematical system to mark the passage of time. Only later did people begin to use it for things like astrology and fortune-telling..."

            "Oh, I guess the story about the animals isn't true, then..."

            "No... I'm not really sure how or when the animals first came to represent the years. But I don't believe they were there from the beginning. What I do know is at no time in the history of the Zodiac has the cat ever been included. So you see, the cat has been shunned by society for thousands of years. But as the story is told, it yearns to be accepted. Like I say, a truly foolish animal.."

            "Sounds like you really don't like cats.." I stared at him, hanging on his every word as he turned around and looked at me, grinning. 

            "I noticed it this morning that you're starting to look a bit pale... You should try to take better care of yourself. Perhaps we'll bump into each other again tomorrow..." He said, before he slowly began walking towards the direction of his home.

_            Wow.. He really is mysterious. But I'll pretend I didn't hear that "pale" remark! I can't afford to let anything bring me down! I've got too much to do! Besides, Mom probably had it much, much worse._

"Wha-? Hey, you gonna let this trash sit out here all night?" One of the businessmen at my job called out at me. I worked as a janitor in a building in town. I had been lost in my thoughts and didn't remember to take care of my duties.

            "Oh! Sorry!" I said quickly, running over and quickly beginning my job.

            _Like my motto says, "Never give up, no matter what life throws your way!"_

Meanwhile

"Whew, if we keep eating out like this all the time, I'm gonna have to buy a bigger robe." Shigure said to his cousin Yuki as they were walking through the forest on their way home from dinner.

"Well, then why don't you do the cooking?" Yuki muttered.

"Why? Every time I make dinner you complain." Shigure said. 

"Pickled radish and curry is not dinner. It's disgusting. I think one complaint is more or less justified."

"Hm. You know, Yuki, you've got a good head on your shoulders... But I don't think you're cut out for housework. Let's get a housekeeper?"

"No.." Yuki protested, but then suddenly he stopped and looking between a few trees. "Hold up.." He muttered as he spotted me slowly walking into my tent. "Miss Honda?"

"Hi Mom. I'm home.." I said weakly as I slipped inside the tend. I was feeling so sick and tired, but I had to go wash before I went to sleep. I also had homework to do. "I know... It's late... But I can't sleep yet. I still have a paper to write.." I spoke to my mother. "I'm just going to go down to the stream and wash up a little, okay?" I grabbed a towel and slowly slipped out of the tent... And right before my eyes were Shigure and Yuki, staring right at me. My eyes widened as I blushed. Shigure, who seemed at a loss for words.. Burst out laughing. For a long while.

"...Shigure, don't you think you're overdoing it?" Yuki scolded.

I'm inside Yuki's house now.. Sitting at his table across from him and Shigure. Shigure is still laughing, not paying attention to us. Yuki rolls his eyes and speaks to me.

"So... You've been living in that tent by yourself?"

"Uh-huh..."

"For how long?"

"I don't know.. Just over a week?"

"Well, that explains it.. All of this land is Sohma property. It seemed off that we'd suddenly have a new neighbor." He said. I sighed and looked at the floor. I felt terrible.

"I'm sorry... But please..." I pleaded. "Can't I stay there a little while longer?.. It's only for a few more weeks, then I'll go! I don't have much money, but I can pay you! Please let me stay?..."

"Those woods aren't too safe.." Shigure suddenly chimed in. "You've got wild animals, landslides, the occasional weirdo prowling around. It's not a good idea for a girl to be living out there alone."

"So you're done laughing?" Yuki commented.

"Don't you worry about me!" I stood up triumphantly. "I'm already used to all the bugs, and if I can stand up to them, I can stand up to..." I fell, I was so out of energy and I felt sick. Yuki put a hand on my forehead.

"A fever.." He said. Shigure hopped up.

"Ice! I'll get ice! It's uh- it's...." He opened up the kitchen screen, and stared at the mess inside. Garbage was everywhere, you couldn't see anything else!

"And you call the woods unsafe?" I stared with wide eyes.

"Well, relatively speaking.." Shigure smirked cutely before his face straightened out. A wolf howled loudly outside. "There.. You hear that? There's just been another landslide somewhere.."

"Really? But- how do you know that?" I asked.

"I guess you could say it's instinct..." He replied.

"Was it close?" Yuki suddenly said.

"Close to the tent-er I mean, not at all!!!"

The three of us stood where my tent was. The landslide had crushed it completely.. My home... I was panicking. 

"Oh!! This is terrible! Mom's picture was still in there! I've got to get her out! Mom!" I screamed frantically, running towards the mount that covered my tent. "Mom, I'm coming!" I clawed at the rocks, but I collapsed. Yuki put a hand on my shoulder.

"Please, calm down. You already have a fever..."

"But Mom... Wh-what am I going to do?" Tears began flooding my eyes.. I didn't know what to do next. "If I don't get her out soon.. Sh-she'll be hurt!" Shigure lay his hand on mine.

"Don't strain yourself.. We'll come back when it's brighter.." He tried to comfort me. "I think your Mom's probably glad it wasn't you in there. And I think she'd be upset if you got hurt now... Don't you?"

"There, isn't that better?.." I was laying on a floor bed in Shigure's house, my eyes closed as I felt a tear fall and hit my pillow. It was all too much for me... "And Yuki's still looking for some ice, if you want it..."

"I'm sorry..."

"You must be tired. It's a lot to happen in one day.."

"I-I lost my home again..." Shigure was sitting next to me on his knees.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes.. It's sad.. But not as sad as other things..."

"Like what?"

"Like.. Not telling Mom 'be safe' on the day she died. I said that every morning. 'Bye. Be safe.' Except that day.. I didn't say it. I had a test, so I stayed up studying almost the whole night. When it was time for Mom to go to work, I didn't wake up. I couldn't tell her 'be safe'... And she never came home. I used to think about quitting school... Working. Mom told me she didn't finish school. But she always wished she did.." 

_"That's why I need you to stick with it. So you can tell me what it feels like to hold that diploma in your hand. And then, maybe, you can have the life I never got to have..."_

"When she said that, that's when I knew... Why she worked so hard.. It was all for me. And with everything she did, I couldn't even get up long enough to say 'goodbye' when she was walking out the door. Not even that one little thing. And then she was gone.. So now I have to finish high school like Mom wanted me too no matter what. I have to hold that diploma in my hand... I have to... for her.. I can't give up... just because... of a fever... like this..." I drifted off slowly.

"It's amazing.." Yuki said, holding the icepack in his hands. "She always seems so cheerful at school.. You'd never guess she's been suffering like this for so long..." There was a long silence. "When I was young, there were many times I wanted to run away from Sohma House... But I never did. I could always find some rationalization to stay. The fact of the matter is, I just wasn't strong enough, or I could've left.. I could've lived in the woods by myself, in a tent.. I could've done what she did."

"You can call it amazing, but I don't think the word does it justice." Shigure commented, smiling at me as I slept. Yuki nodded.

"No.. No it doesn't." Yuki slowly turned away and looked towards the door. "Do you mind keeping an eye on her? I'd like to go out for a while."

"What? Where? You're not going to try digging out that tent—You are. Aren't you? Do you want me to come with you? It won't be an easy job for you alone..." Shigure stood up, looking at his cousin.

"You're right.." Yuki opened the sliding door, his purplish eyes glowing. "But I don't think I said I was going alone..."

"....Be safe, Yuki."

_"Tohru... Tohru...? You've got a fever again. You don't have to push yourself so hard... You don't have to do things the way I did. You can just be yourself. Do things your own way, one step at a time. You'll get there.. I promise."_

"Mom?"...

_"Just be yourself.. You'll be fine."_

I slowly woke up, but the first time I lay my eyes upon was the picture of my mother sitting right in front of me. I immediately leaned up and stared at it.

"Mom, you're here.." I slowly picked up the picture and brought it up from the ground. "But how did you-?"

"Good morning!" Yuki said happily, grinning as he stood in the front yard wish wasn't far from the door. He was holding three bags in his hands. "How are you feeling today?"

"Umm.. I guess, I... uhh..." I stammered.

"I've brought your things for you." He set the bags on the porch in front of me. "I think this is all of them if you'd like to check." I stared at him, then sighed.

"Yuki.. This must've taken you all night.."

"Don't be silly.." He chuckled.

"So then, how did you- I mean, there was so much..."

"It's a secret.." He whispered.

"Oh..."

"I know the place is dirty..." He began, I blinked.

"What?"

"And I realize the idea of living with two strange boys may seem a little awkward, but there is an extra room upsets. You're welcome to stay there, if you'd like." I gasped and shook my head quickly.

"No no no no, out of the question!!" 

"We're not that strange..."

"No! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Of course, it won't be free.." Shigure suddenly commented from behind her. "I do intend to pay your for your services.."

"For my.. services?" I stared blankly at him.

"As our brand new housekeeper!" Shigure smiled widely as both him and Yuki began carrying her bags upstairs. "We'll just take your things to your room now. I assume your references will all check out?" I pleaded from behind them.

"Wait! I can't let you do this! Not after all the trouble you've gone through already! Please! It's too much!"

"Miss Honda.. We're doing this because we want to." Yuki explained. "You don't have to worry that it's causing us any trouble.. And besides, where else can you go?"

"Oh..." I sighed. He had me there. "Well, if I'm going to stay here, I'll work for room and board and that's it! I don't want any money! And I want to know all the rules of the house! I-"

"Relax. It's alright." Yuki assured me. I blushed very slightly. "You can do things your own way here. The only thing you have to do is be yourself.. Fair enough?" I found myself staring at him..

_"Just be yourself.. You'll be fine."_

"I don't know. Do you really think it's a good idea to have a girl in the house?" Shigure said as he and Yuki were walking around outside.

"Naturally, now it occurs to you now to worry.  But I wouldn't. We'll be okay as long as she doesn't try to hug us.."

All's well that ends well, I guess.. But I still not sure how I ended up in Yuki's house.. Or borrowing some of his clothes. It's like being in a dream..

"I apologize for the smell.." Yuki said as he opened the window to my currently empty room. "We've had this room closed off for some time.. It's probably best to keep the windows open for a while." As he spoke, I heard a noise coming from the roof. Suddenly, the roof broke and suddenly singles and dirt began pouring from the ceiling.. Standing in the rubble was a boy with red hair. I had no idea who it was. I just stared in shock.

"Yo." The boy said. "Time to pay the piper, rat-boy. I'm here to collect."

"Funny. I would've thought he'd send somebody bigger." Yuki said smugly. The boy fumed.

"That's right. You better get your tough talk out of the way while you can, 'cause I'm about to wipe that stupid little smirk right off your face!" My eyes widened as I lunged forward, grabbing the boy and pulling him towards me tightly. 

"Wait, stop! Don't fight!" It seemed as if both the boy and Yuki gasped at the same time. Suddenly, a puff of orange smoke appeared as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Yuki..." Shigure suddenly poked his head into the doorway. "What were all the crashing sounds I just heard? Kyo's not here, is he?"

"I'm so sorry!" I shouted in a panic. "Are you alright? I-" I stared at him. There was an orange cat in my hands. My eyes widened. "AHH, I turned him into a cat! I'm so sorry! I don't know how it happened! But we're going to help you, okay?!" I shook the cat as Yuki and Shigure just kind of stared embarrassed behind me. "Hurry! We have to get him to a doctor, right away!" As I finished that sentence, suddenly a piece of the ceiling dropped and smacked me on the head, making me fall over onto Yuki and Shigure.. Two more light explosions occurred. As I stared I saw a dog and a rat now stood where Yuki and Shigure were.. I stared for several moments before I fell backwards.

Oh Mom, I think this must all be a dream! Everybody's turning into animals!

Next chapter: The Sohma Family Secret.

As you may now, typing from the show like that takes a lot of work.. So judging on how many reviews I get will be the deciding factor on how quickly chapter two is put up. Thanks for reading!


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